


The Ring of Anabuki

by VivArney



Category: The Tomorrow People (1973)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 07:44:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5531432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VivArney/pseuds/VivArney





	The Ring of Anabuki

John sat on one of the twin couches teaching Andrew and Hsui Tai, the newest telepaths, how to replace and repair the seals on their new A.E. suits.

"No, Hsui Tai, you've got it in upside down," he said quietly. "Turn it around."

The Oriental girl nodded and followed his instructions.

"That's right."

"How's that?" Andrew asked.

"Fine, Andrew, but don't push so hard, you'll puncture the regulator."

Andrew nodded and again practiced connecting the valves and replacing the tubes.

TIM rolled over from the Jaunting Pad. "John, tomorrow is Elizabeth's birthday. I believe some sort of celebration is in order."

"Is it? I'd forgotten. You're right, TIM, we ought to do something."

"I think it should be a surprise," Hsui Tai said excitedly.

"Aye, and since she's out on Ceton until tomorrow, it won't be hard," Andrew put in.

John threw up his hands in surrender. He knew how much Elizabeth enjoyed parties. "All right, you two, start making the arrangements. I'll see what I can do to get Chris, Ginge, Lefty and Professor Cawston to come for a while," he said then slipped off the couch. "But put those suits into the locker first... and properly," he warned as he stepped onto the Jaunting pad and, lightly touching his fingers to the multi-colored band around his wrist, he vanished.

Andrew and Hsui Tai chattered excitedly as they gathered up the metallic garments and went into the large locker room to hang  
them carefully onto their specially built hangers.

Twenty-four hours later, everything was ready and Elizabeth still knew nothing of the celebration. The Floor of the Jaunting pad and those in the main area had been swept and mopped, the walls sparkled, two tables, one large and one small, had been set up on the far side of the workshop. The larger table was spread with treats and drinks and the smaller one held gifts from the telepaths.

Chris and Ginge Harding arrived together.

Ginge's ginger colored hair was long and, for once, clean and combed neatly. Chris hadn't managed  
to talk him into a shirt and tie, but his T-shirt was new and his leather trousers were shiny. Ginge looked slightly uncomfortable, but he gave John a grin as he handed the telepath a small wrapped package before he went to join Hsui Tai on the nearest sofa.

Chris, too, handed John a package for Elizabeth and went to sit beside his brother.

John placed the gifts on the table, then stepped into the workshop for a moment.

"I don't know, John, I think I liked the other lab better," Ginge said. "It wasn't as efficient but it seemed more comfortable." He winked at Mike who laughed, knowing this was a running joke between Ginge and John.

John grinned as he returned in time to hear Ginge's comment and jumped into the familiar verbal sparring.

"What's wrong, Ginge, don't you like modern surroundings?"

"Modern?"

"There ain't nothin' modern about metal walls - looks more like early freezer," Ginge insisted.

John shot a look at Andrew. "Ain't?" he said in surprise. "Did he say ain't, Andrew?"

The younger telepath laughed and replied. "Aye, he did, John."

"Ginge, you wouldn't know modern if it walked up and bashed you on the head," Chris teased.

"Who was it got thrown five hundred years into the future, then?"

"And then spent the next week complaining because he forgot to find out the winner of the next year's derby," Lefty shot back.

Ginge broke up then, remembering. "All right, I'll give you lot that one," he said, laughing. "Are any of the others joining us, then? I haven't seen Kenny, Carol or Stephen in years."

John sat on the opposite couch and crossed his legs. “Kenny's supposed to lure Elizabeth here. Carol's pregnant again and due any day so her doctor's forbidden her to Jaunt until after the baby's born. I don't know about Stephen. He's fallen in love with  
Danielle and the two of them are spending the weekend on Gallion Island, but they might be back."

"Who's Danielle?"

"Danielle Limon," Mike answered. "Her father is Renè François Limon."

"The actor who does all those science fiction movies?" Ginge asked.

John nodded.

"I'll bet she's a looker!" Ginge said, whistling in appreciation.

"She is that," Andrew said.

"I always knew Stephen had it up top," Ginge said, tapping his temple.

“So, where's Tyso, then?" Chris asked.

"Oh, he's promised to be here, but he's got a friend, too."

"Another one of you?"

John shook his head. "No, she's Tianese. Her world is on the other side of Rigel."

"Sounds like more wedding bells for you lot," Ginge said.

"Not likely," Andrew snapped. 

"John, I've just spoken to Professor Cawston. He is ready."

"Bring him in, please, TIM."

A moment later, a tall, slim man appeared on the Jaunting pad. John went up to greet him and removed  
the thin bracelet-like device from the other man's wrist and slipped it onto his own.

"After all this time, you still don't trust me, John?"

"No, Brian, we trust you. It's the SIS we don't trust. After that messy situation with Major Lawford and the way Colonel Masters behaved when Tyso broke out, we aren't taking any chances," John replied, gesturing toward the couches.

Cawston nodded. "I understand, John. Who's this?" he asked, walking to stand in front of Ginge. He'd been to the Lab several times in the last few years, but he still didn't know everyone.

"Ginge Harding, Professor," Ginge said, holding out a hand. "I've certainly heard a lot about you."

"Harding?" Cawston said absently then reached to shake hands with the younger man. He looked over at Chris.

Chris nodded. "He's my brother. Just a couple of other Saps."

Cawston smiled. "It's good to meet you, Ginge."

One by one, the other party guests arrived and introductions made: Stephen and Danielle, Tyso and Asha, Timus and Tikno and finally Kenny and the guest of honor: Elizabeth - properly surprised by her friends.

* * * * *

The next morning, Elizabeth and John sat across from each other on the twin sofas having breakfast.

"It was a wonderful party, John," she said quietly, not wanting to wake the still sleeping telepaths.

"Yes, it was, wasn't it. Andrew's been working on the jewelry box he gave you for months."

"I can tell. It's beautiful."

"The ring looks very interesting. You don't think it's genuine, do you?"

Elizabeth held up her hand and gazed at the delicate lapis lazuli band with figures carved in it. "Oh, I doubt it. If it were authentic, it would belong in a museum. I'm sure it's a replica."

"TIM could tell you," he offered.

"I know he could, but I don't care, really. It's just a nice piece."

John nodded and took a sip from his coffee. "It's a shame Shanlon couldn't make it."

"Stephen said she was working on a particularly interesting passage in the ancient records."

"I hope she finds what she's searching for. She's been looking a long time."

"Almost three years now, isn't it?"

Before John could respond, the cup in Elizabeth's hand fell apart, dropping the still very warm coffee into her lap. She stood, gasping in surprise.

John shot to his feet. "Are you all right?"

A small towel appeared on TIM’s dome.

"I think so. It just startled me." She took the towel and wiped at the spilled coffee. 

"But you're not burned?"

She shook her head. "What happened?"

John knelt to pick up the parts of the cup. "It can't have just fallen apart," he said in amazement as he examined the pieces. He stood and laid the pieces on TIM's domed canister. "TIM, what do you make of this?"

The pieces vanished. "Very interesting... Some of the components of the cup seem to have lost their molecular cohesion." 

"Was there a malfunction when you replicated the cup?"

"No, that cup was perfect when I created it for Elizabeth. At the same time I created yours, incidently."

John set his cup down on the canister. "Check this, please, TIM."

The cup vanished. 

"There is nothing wrong with your cup, John," TIM announced after a moment.

* * * * *

The mysterious accidents continued and they weren't always directed at Elizabeth. 

John got a nasty shock from a wire that shouldn’t have had a charge when he was working on a new module for TIM.

Mike seemed to trip over his own feet and banged his head on the Jaunting pad.

Andrew’s tray disintegrated dumping his lunch in his lap.

Hsui Tai got a door closed on her hand.

John got a bloody nose when Mike accidentally hit him in the face with a door.

TIM sprang a leak in one of his tubes, dripping fluids onto the floor where Hsui Tai slipped and landed hard.

“I can’t believe we’re this clumsy all of a sudden,” Mike said, helping her up off the floor as John repaired the leak. 

“I can’t explain it,” John said without looking up. “Hsui Tai, are you all right?” he asked. 

“Yes, fine, John,” she answered.

John straightened. “I don’t believe this.”

“Aye. This is getting ridiculous,” Andrew put in.

“We’ve just got to be more careful, that’s all,” Elizabeth said with a frown.

John stepped onto the Jaunting pad.

“Where are you going?”

"Over to see Chris. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said and vanished.

“I've lost John!” TIM cried suddenly. 

“What?” Mike asked worriedly. “How did you do that?”

“Never mind that now, Mike,” Elizabeth said quickly. “TIM, see if you can find him.”

“I am attempting to locate him, but I haven’t had any response yet.”

Elizabeth and the two boys put their hands on TIM’s three domes.

//John!// they called together telepathically.

A few moments later they got a response.

//I'm here//

//Where are you?// Mike asked. //Are you okay?//

//Yes, I’m fine, but I don’t know where I am.//

//I’ve found you. I’m Jaunting you back.//

//Okay, TIM.//

John appeared on the Jaunting pad a moment later.

“Whew!” he said as he dropped down onto the nearest sofa.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Elizabeth asked.

He nodded. “I was out in a desert somewhere.”

“You were in the middle of the Sahara.”

“How?”

“I do not know, John.”

“Check you monitors please, TIM.”

“I have already done so - there is no malfunction. I am receiving a message from the Trig. We are about to have a visitor.”

“Not now!"

“It's Shanlon.”

John’s face brightened. “Bring her in, but be careful.”

“Certainly.”

Shanlon appeared a moment later. 

John smiled as she stepped off the jaunting pad. “It’s good to see you again, Shanlon.”

"It's good to be back." 

“How’s the research coming?” John asked, gesturing to the couch.

"I have found some disturbing information," she admitted sadly.

“That doesn't sound like it's good news,” Mike said.

“I’ve found Kirron. According to the records, the Kultan and the Ganzhana had a battle a thousand years ago. Kirron was right in the middle of it. Their weapons caused an imbalance in our sun and it imploded.”

Shanlon swallowed hard. “The inner planets were vaporized instantly. The outer worlds were burned to  
a cinder. Both fleets were destroyed... along with...all of my people.”

Elizabeth hugged the older woman. "I'm so sorry."

Shanlon shook her head. “No, this was over a thousand years ago. My father, my son, my husband, my world... all gone.” she whispered, tears running down her face.

"Maybe, but it isn't a thousand years for you," Elizabeth said.

A box of tissues appeared beside Elizabeth and she held one out to Shanlon without a word. To say anything more didn’t seem right. 

“I’d like to stay here for a few days,” she said quietly. “I haven’t made any other plans yet.”

“Certainly,” John agreed. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like." 

* * * * *

That evening, the group was sitting down to supper when Shanlon’s glass suddenly developed a large crack spilling her drink onto her tray. 

“Looks like our practical joker’s after you, as well,” John said.

They had told her about the series of mysterious incidents that had occurred in the last couple of days.

“Is there anything here in the Lab that wasn’t here before?” Shanlon asked.

“No, not really,” Elizabeth said. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “When I was in Egypt, they frequently spoke of curses.”

“You think someone’s put a curse on us?” John said with a patient smile. 

“The power of suggestion can do many mysterious things, especially if telekinesis is involved,” Shanlon said.

“But that’s crazy.”

“Believe what you will, John, but I know what I saw back in Egypt.”

John threw up his hands in surrender as a light flickered above his head and Mike came into the room rubbing his shoulder and wincing.

“What's happened now?” John asked.

“Book fell off the shelf.”

John sighed. “Maybe you have a point, Shanlon.”

* * * * *

Over the next few days, more and more accidents happened. It had gotten to the point that the telepaths were nervous just walking around the Lab. 

“TIM, aren’t you reading anything during these incidents?” John asked after a light dropped from the ceiling and barely missed Elizabeth.

“Nothing, John. I have been taking readings constantly since these peculiar events started, but I have made no progress in the matter. I am certain that you and the others cannot have suddenly become so uncoordinated. It is most unusual.”

Shanlon came in. She stared at Elizabeth in shock. “No, it is not possible!” she cried suddenly.

“What is it?” John asked in concern.

" Elizabeth’s ring! Where did it come from?”

“Professor Cawston gave it to me for my birthday.”

“Did he say where he got it?”

Elizabeth shook her head. 

“May I see it?”

Elizabeth removed the ring and handed it to the other woman. “I haven’t been wearing it much, I’m afraid. It’s so delicate. I’ve been leaving it here in the Lab so I won’t lose it”

Shanlon examined the ring closely. “It reminds me of a ring I heard of back in Egypt. It belonged to the leader of the cult of Anabuki. Terrible things happened if the leader was displeased. I thought my father had said it was buried where no one  
could find it after the cult was disbanded.”

“Are you sure?”

Shanlon shrugged as she handed the ring back to Elizabeth. “You really should ask Professor Cawston where he got it.”

"We assumed it was a replica. It wouldn't be like Professor Cawston to keep an actual artifact."

“Liz, the chances that your ring and the one Shanlon’s talking about being the same are astronomical,” he insisted. “We’re just having a run of bad luck, that’s all.” He walked out of the room.

“He does not believe.”

“He has good reason to be skeptical. We’ve been through some pretty frightening situations, but this curse business just can’t be real.”

“If that is the ring of Anabuki, your lives could be in danger.”

Elizabeth laid the ring on TIM’s cannister. “Please analyze this, TIM?”

The lights on the canister brightened, then dimmed, then went out entirely.

“TIM?”

There was no response.

“TIM?”

John came running into the room. “What’s happened to TIM?”

Elizabeth frowned. “I asked him to analyze the ring and...”

John knelt on the floor and opened a panel. “I don’t see anything here.”

Mike Jaunted in. “What’s wrong with TIM?”

“I’m not sure yet,” John replied as he stood and went into the workshop. He returned with a set of tools and knelt back down beside the canister.

“An’ you think one of us did it?” Mike asked, his face full of anger.

John looked up at him in confusion. “What? I said nothing of the sort.”

"You bloody bastard!” Mike was suddenly on top of John. One of his fists connected with John’s left eye and a well placed kick dropped the older telepath to the floor with a low groan, his head striking a corner of TIM’s canister as he fell..

“Mike, what are you doing?” Elizabeth screamed in horror as Mike slammed his foot brutally into John’s ribs.

Elizabeth Jaunted to the weapons locker. She removed a stungun, turned and shot Mike before he could do any further damage and returned to drop to her knees beside John. She was almost afraid to touch him. She shot a glance at Mike’s limp form on the floor. “What would make Mike act that way?”

Shanlon glared at the young telepath. “The ring, Elizabeth, we must...”

“You’re right, but I’m more concerned about John just now. I’m afraid to move him.”

Shanlon ran a hand over the areas Mike had struck. “There is some damage, but nothing life threatening, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

“Ask Hsui Tai to look after John and Mike. I have a plan to rid us of the ring.”

The younger girl arrived. They explained what had happened and what they needed her to do. She agreed quickly. 

Elizabeth turned to Shanlon. “So, how do we destroy the ring?”

“We cannot, Elizabeth. It contains the spirit of Anabuki.. We must put it in a place where it will not be found.” 

“You said they buried it. Someone obviously found it.”

“They did not have our resources, Elizabeth.”

“No, they didn’t, did they?”

* * * * *

John found himself in his bunk in his quarters. His head ached horribly and his ribs complained as he sat up. The last thing he remembered clearly was Mike’s fist slamming into his eye. He touched his cheek gingerly and pulled away fingers stained with  
blood. There wasn’t much of it and most of it had dried into a crusty residue, but it was definitely blood. 

He jumped at a soft knock at the door. “Come in.” 

Hsui Tai and Elizabeth entered. 

“How are you feeling?” Hsui Tai asked.

He frowned. “Awful. Is my memory playing tricks or did Mike actually attack me?”

Elizabeth sat down on the bed beside him. “Yes, but it wasn’t really his fault, John. “Shanlon was right about this ‘Curse of Anesutnantan,’” she began.

“The ring did not want TIM to analyze it so it shut him down. When you tried to repair him, it took over Mike and tried to stop you,” Hsui Tai explained.

“How’s TIM now?”

“I am fully functional, John. When Elizabeth and Shanlon took the ring from the Lab, my systems reset themselves.”

“That’s good,” he sighed. He rubbed his side and groaned. “So where’s the ring now?”

“Safely on it’s way to Kirron,” Shanlon told him as she entered. “Or rather the dust cloud that surrounds its former location. It will be almost impossible to find a small ring in all that debris. It will not be found again.”

“Where’s Mike?”

Elizabeth frowned at him. “I won’t tell you. Not unless you promise not to hold it against him.”

“I won’t. It was my fault,” he said.

The women stared at him in disbelief. 

“Why would you say that?” Hsui Tai asked.

“If I hadn’t been so thick-headed and believed Shanlon the first time she told us about the ring, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Elizabeth called out to Mike. He entered quickly, looking a little sheepish.

“You all right then?” he asked John.

John nodded. “We’ll say no more about it, all right?”

Mike nodded.

“Let’s not tell Professor Cawston what happened to his gift,” he suggested. 

“I think he should know...” Elizabeth began.

“Liz, you two threw his gift away. He’ll think you didn’t appreciate it,” John told them with a grin.

Liz smacked him with a pillow.


End file.
